


Cassandra Receives the Sight

by musingsofmaura



Series: Homeric AU [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Homeric AU, Snakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-07 18:12:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13440411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musingsofmaura/pseuds/musingsofmaura
Summary: Zayn visits the Temple of Apollo, and experiences something quite bizarre.





	Cassandra Receives the Sight

Zayn turned the corner quickly, the soft leather of his sandals slipping a bit at the change of direction on the smooth stones beneath his feet. A pair of giggling young boys ran past him, heads bent together in obvious mischief. He was expected back at the palace in less than half an hour, as Priam was having a large banquet this evening. Louis had already been getting in his rooms when Zayn had snuck out, muttering about which set of elaborate robes he wanted to wear. 

His mother would have his head if he was late for his formal entrance, but something in Zayn's mind was compelling him further away from the palace, through the winding streets of the upper city, completely ignoring the potential for Hecuba's wrath. Feeling a strange sensation gathering at the base of his neck, he paused and slowly turned to the left. The gleaming steps up to the Temple of Apollo were suddenly right in front of him-he had no recollection of crossing the square, entering the sacred precinct, and coming to stand by the temple. Moved as if by some other force, Zayn began the ascent, feet stepping one after the other, eyes fixed forward. 

When he finally reached the top, he paused and leaned against one of the broad, cool columns, smoothed by the thousands of gentle human touches that had come before him. Zayn couldn't see any of the normal temple attendants in sight. The priests were likely already on their way to the palace, but something was odd about the silence in the cella. Usually, Zayn's fuzzy brain noted, there were at least two or three temple slaves attempting to make themselves as invisible as possible as they swept or tended the flames of the lamps that lined the inner colonnade. Today, though, he was totally alone. 

Zayn stepped further into the dark interior of the cella, gaze drawn as always to the gleaming statue of Apollo towering at the end of the room. His eyes did not stray from the statue as he inched ever closer, nor did they notice the increasing intensity of the flames, or the beginnings of a strong breeze. Only when a large, swirling gust slammed the great doors of the temple shut, did Zayn take note. Somehow, the lamps all remained lit, sputtering flames winking in the sudden, extreme darkness. 

Against all reason, the cult statue was still perfectly visible, as if it were illuminated by a force much greater than the scattered lamps. Reaching the base of the statue, Zayn craned his head to look up the undulating curves of ivory and gold, from strong calves, skimming along flat chest, to arrive at the chiseled chin. After a moment Zayn lowered his eyes and examined the twisted snake carved at the feet of the god. 

"Python," he whispered, lips moving of their own accord to mouth the name of the beast Apollo had slain, whose name they recounted with fear and awe in the prayers and sacrifices they offered to the god of the silver bow. 

Zayn had rarely seen the snake, as the feet of the statue were often covered, dripping with long, winding garlands and flowers piled high. Today, though, the sinuous marble body was stark, right in his line of sight. He reached out slowly and traced the scalloped scales, his feet following the path that he drew out, trailing his finger along the line of its body until he reached the head, lolling to the side from the impact of Apollo's well-aimed arrow. 

Suddenly, as his fingertips skated over the snake's head, he felt it move. Zayn froze, and slowly removed his hand as the snake blinked and flicked a tongue out of its gaping, marble mouth. Then, the creature's head swiveled, bobbing slightly as it looked him up and down. Without warning, the massive snake slid off the statue base and twisted its body up and around Zayn's. 

Zayn stood motionless, paralyzed with fear as the textured marble coiled around his flesh, cool to touch and utterly unyielding. He blinked, and suddenly the all of the surrounding columns were also writhing and undulating like snakes. 

Python's enormous, blunt head bumped against his temple, and Zayn could feel the snake's soft exhales rustling the tendrils of hair curling back from his face, and the tongue flicking in and out, barely touching the shell of his ear. 

"Princeling," the snake hissed, its voice echoing across the marbles floors, and up through the towering wooden eaves, "the Gods have chosen you."

The snake pulled its head back further and held it in front of Zayn's face. Terrified as he was, Zayn was unable to blink, entranced by the swaying, gleaming beast before his eyes. 

"You shall see the future of your people, and of this city, and speak freely about its doom. But no one will ever pay heed to your words. When the truth passes from your lips, the ears of your listeners will be closed, and their hearts hardened to prophesies you share." 

The snake then darted forward, brushing its forked tongue quickly across Zayn's eyelids-his eyes had snapped shut of their own accord right before the snake's stone tongue touched his skin. Next, the cool marble caressed his lips, before both that contact, and the weight of the beast wrapped around his body, disappeared altogether. The snake dropped back down to the floor, its body sliding over Zayn's feet and back up around Apollo's. Reeling from the shift in weight, Zayn stumbled back slightly to catch himself on his heels, as the snake finished winding itself on the statue base.

His eyes flashed open and darted up to see a bright glow in Apollo's eyes that was fast dimming. Zayn even thought he saw the god exhale, nostrils flaring slightly. With another echoing bang, the temple doors slammed open again, bright sunlight flooding back into the cella. The flames danced in the resulting draft, casting undulating shadows upon the imposing columns that stood completely still, with no indication of their previous contortions. Pausing for a moment longer, chest heaving as though he had just sprinted from the lower town all the way up to the acropolis, Zayn felt his mind returning to his body, the cloudy feeling dissipating quickly from the edges of his consciousness. Finally, once his breathing steadied, Zayn squared his shoulders and raised his chin. It was time to return to the feast. His duty could not be avoided any longer, and even divine encounters would not save him from Hecuba's unbridled anger if he missed his father's welcome speech.


End file.
